J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review

The Case

When I finally got around to starting the Harry Potter series, I devoured book one. It was with great anticipation that I moved on to book two. I'm happy to report that I enjoyed it quite as much as the first! Though it doesn't tie in with the following books as much as I hoped it would, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is definitely worthy of its place in the Potter series!

The Plot (Spoiler-free!)

Harry Potter is more than ready for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but this time around, someone doesn't want him there. A stranger pleads with Harry not to go back to school, telling him that terrible things will happen at Hogwarts. After several obstacles, Harry does manage to return to his beloved school, but almost immediately, the things he was warned about begin to come true - something is attacking Hogwarts students! Worse, most of the school suspects that Harry himself is behind it all. Now, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with unlikely and dangerous sources of help, must discover the truth behind the mysterious Chamber of Secrets...before it's too late.

The Good

Chamber of Secrets picks up soon after the events of Sorcerer's Stone, and it doesn't disappoint. New characters are introduced quickly as the story zips along, some of them comical (as in the case of Gilderoy Lockhart) and some of them menacing (Lucius Malfoy). My absolute favorite feature of Chamber is the fact that we are able to spend some quality time at The Burrow, the residence of the Weasleys. As the Weasleys themselves are pretty much my favorite family ever, it was a true delight to be their guest for the remainder of Harry's summer holidays!

The second installment in the Harry Potter series is quite a bit darker than the first, and I think it's brilliant. There's a much clearer, more defined sense of danger inherent throughout the entire story, and it ups the stakes for every character, even our favorite trio of Gryffindors.

Also, one of the main topics addressed in Chamber is that of pure-blooded wizards versus Muggle-borns (like Hermione), or, if using the derogatory term, "mudbloods." Pure bloods consider themselves superior to both half-bloods and Muggle-borns, and the themes of discrimination and prejudice are tightly woven throughout the novel. Again, it was wonderfully done, and I'm glad that Rowling continued this particular theme through all of the Harry Potter novels that follow.

The Bad

If we're looking at the individual stories presented in each of the Harry Potter books, I'd have to say - and actually have said - that Chamber of Secrets is one of my favorite. The themes and the story are superb, and I absolutely love reading it. That being said, Chamber tells a story that is distinctly separate from the rest of the Harry Potter series. If you read book one, then skipped book two and proceeded directly to book three, you'd still understand the running storylines just fine.

And that's the problem: Chamber doesn't really fit into the series-long arc - it's stand-alone. I love it, but it's disconnected. Rowling is a master at linking her separate novels with clues and hints and continuing arcs, and Chamber of Secrets, however brilliant it is, lacks those key features.

Also, Dobby annoys me. He really does.

The Verdict

Four stars! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a testament to the adventurous, complex, and wonderfully-themed spirit of the Potter series!